Card-catalogue.



No. 685,07l. Patented Oct. 22, I90l.

w. o. WAKEFIELD.

CARD CATALOGUE.

(Application filed Mar. 7. 1888.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

P )3 F WITNEESES. lplv gNTljal a) N W i A by No. 685,071. Patented Oct.22, MIL

W. U. WAKEFIELD.

CARD CATALOGUE.

' (Application filed Mar. 7, 1898.) MOdBlJ 2 Sheats$haet 2.

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IINrTED STATES PATENT" QFFIGE.

WILLIAM O. WAKEFIELD, OF SCHENEOTADY, NEW YORK.

CARD-CATALOGUE.

srnornrcarron forming part of Letters Patent No. 685,071, dated October22, 1901.

Application filed March 7, 1898- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM O. WAKE- FIELD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady, State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGard-Catalogues, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cardcatalogues such as are in common use inlibraries or in other places where a large number of subjects or titlesare to be indexed or classified in any desired manner. It has foritsobject to furnish an improvementin such devices in which the titles willbe more readily open to inspection, by which also the cards may berearranged or redistributed with convenience and so that each card willbe practically independent of all othersthat is, it may be independentlyinspected or removed, a new one substituted, or changes and adjustmentsof the order made without affecting the cards other than those adjusted.For this purpose I have instead of standing the cards on edge, as is thecommon custom in catalogues of this class, so arranged them that theylie flat and each card overlaps the other, so that a small portion ofthe face of each card is exposed to view. Upon this portion the title(or indication of whatever kind is desired) may be placed. In addition Iarrange the cards in separable racks, each of which is removable fromthe catalogue or whole collection of cards, and the cardsthemselves arearranged so that they may be separablydetached from the racks. The racksare arranged, preferably, in cabinet-drawers, which may for this purposebe made very shallow. By opening any drawer its entire contents, so faras the title or numbers or other indicating means adopted are concerned,will be open to inspection, and it is unnecessary to handle the cards inany way. A common objection in devices of this class has been that byconstant handling the edges and significant portions or titles of thecard become so soiled that frequent renewals are necessary. In thedevice whichI have originated this objection does not arise.

.The invention therefore consists not only in the improved form ofcabinetwhich I have devised, but in the use with the shallow drawer ofthe separable racks for the cards, the independently-adjustable cards,and the Serial No. 672,870. (No model.)

placing of ,the cards in the catalogue flat instead of on edge. It alsoconsists in the form of card which I have adopted, which is so arrangedthat it is held in place by lugs integral with the cards and without theuse of the additional fastening devices which are common in devices ofthis class.

The invention will, however, be more readily understood from thedrawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet constructedaccording to my invention. Fig. 2 is a section of a cabinet, showing oneof the drawers in place, filled with cards. Fig. 3 is a plan view of oneof the drawers. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the trays used forthe cards; Fig. 5, a front elevation of a'card; Fig. 6, a perspective ofthe tray shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 7, a perspective of the dies used informing the cards. Figs. 8 and 9 are modifications in which two cardsmay be placed in each perforation of the tray. Fig. 10 is a furthermodification.

In Fig. 1, A is the cabinet, and 13B are the drawers. These are madeveryshallow and are provided with the usual knobs C. These latter arestaggered, so that the drawers may be more readily opened.

In Fig. 2 the same reference-letters show the same parts, except that inthis figure the trays D are more plainly apparent, each-of them carryingcards E.

, In Fig.3 one of the drawers is shown. This consists of the ordinaryframe and has rabbeted rails F, in which the trays D slide. Stops f areplaced at the back ofthe drawer, so that in manipulating the trays thecards in the back one will not be injured. The trays D D are shown inone side of the drawer. They are composed of sheet metal bent to theform required and have perforations on the sides inwhich the cards E arepivoted. The bottom of the tray being wider than the distance betweenthe perforations in the sides, the'lugs of the cards to be hereinafterdescribed are fully protected. In Figs. 4: and 6 one of these trays isshown With'the cards in place; Inthe latter figure D is the baseof thetray, consisting of a bottom portion d and two sides 61 which formrecesses in which the lugs of the cards are located. The sides areformed by bending the metal upon itself, as at d, and then bending overthe edge of the sheet at d so as to form a cover or protection for thelugs on the cards. The part d might be omitted. Perforations d areprovided in which the lugs rest. These lugs and perforations form thesecuring means for the cards, which can lie fiat, so that at least partof the face of each card is exposed. At the same time any card may beindependently inspected or renewed, if so desired, without affecting theothers. As shown in dotted lines, the bottom may be cut away to reduceweight, if desired; but ordinarily it will be better to leave the fullamount of metal.

In Fig. 5 a card adapted to the catalogue is shown. This consists of amain portion E, having projecting lugs e e. The lugs are connected withthe main body of the card by a curve 6. I have found that thisconstruction diminishes the wear considerably and that the lugs are lesseasily torn when the cards are handled. The card could, however, asshown in dotted lines, be formed with the lug and side connected at anangle. The sides 6 are beveled or differ slightly from a right anglewith the base, so that the card will fall more readily into place. ThisI have found useful, though not imperative. It is not essential to thepractice of my invention that the lugs shall be integral with the card,as other constructions by which the cards may, practically speaking, bepivoted at their lower edgeswillreadilysuggestthemselves. When,therefore, I employ the term in the claims, I do not use it in arestricting sense, since such a construction as that shown in Fig. 10,for example, might be used and still be within my invention.

In Fig. 4 a number of the cards are shown in place in one of the trays.As ordinarily constructed these trays are adapted for ten cards; but ofcourse this number might be varied. One of the lugs e on each side ofeach card enters a perforation in the tray D. The spacing of theperforations will determine the extent to which the face of each cardwill be exposed to view. Ordinarily the card will lie flat, as shown onthe right in Fig. 4; but when it is to be entirely exposed to view theother cards may be turned up, as shown on the left.

In Fig. 7 the die with which the cards are formed is shown. It consistsof a male die Gr, havingcuttin g edges arranged to form the side contourof the card, the rounded cutters g g forming the curve a. On the edge ofthe die is an entering lip g, which starts the cut. At g is aseparating-cutter. The corresponding female die is formed in the plateG. The operation of these parts will be best understood from Fig. 5,where a portion of one card is shown on the left in dotted lines, thespace between the two corresponding to the shape of the die G. It willbe seen that the same die thus forms both ends of the cards, not onlythe ones shown in the preferred form. of the invention, but also theones used in the modified form shown in Figs. 8 and 9. In

these Figs. 8 and 9 I illustrate a form which may be usefully employedwhen it is desired to double the number of cards in each tray. In Fig.9, E is one of the cards having its upper left-hand corner slightlycutaway, so as to expose the card behind it. E is the card at the back.It will be seen that by reversing the relative position of single cardsformed like the front card E the arrangement of Fig. 9 will be produced.Fig. 8 shows a tray D with twenty cards intead of ten in place.

In Fig. 10 I show that the lugs 6 may be replaced by a strip of sheetmetal 6 crimped over the lower edge of the card E. This is, however,more costly, bulky, and heavy than the ordinary form and is notpreferred.

The drawers of the cabinet may be formed, as illustrated in Fig. 3,either with the rabbeted rails F, which may be of wood or metal, or withsolid bottom and partitions, depending to some extent on the material ofthe cabinet. In very large catalogues or those frequently consulted itis desirable to use the rails, because dust falls through from onedrawer to theother as the cards are shifted and gradually works its wayout.

I have found that by my invention, which has been put into practicaluse, a great saving of time is effected for those using largecatalogues. Where formerly it was necessary to turn each card separatelyin order to be certain that the desired one was consulted, in this adrawer may be pulled out from the cabinet and its entire contents willbe exposed at once to view.

I do not claim for my improved catalogue great economy of space, as,while this is de sirable, it should not be obtained at a sacrifice ofconvenience; but by my inventionI have been able to save at leastfour-fifths of the time consumed in consulting catalogues it put thetitles in two different lines, but it is more difiicult to handle asingle card. In all the forms the cards may be sprung sufficiently topermit the ready insertion of the lugs in the perforations of the traysand will then fly back flat, so that they may readily be removed orrearranged without injury. The tray may be removed and the cards turnedover, so that the position of the tray will be reversed in the drawer.Two catalogues might be kept upon opposite sides of the cards, ifdesired; but ordinarily this will be found impracticable.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is-

1. In a card-catalogue, the combination of a drawer, with trays havingperforated sides, and cards held in place by the perforations.

2. In a card-catalogue, the combination with the drawer, of a number oftrays having perforated sides and cards arranged in groups in thedifferent trays, the cards provided with lugs disposed in the perforatedsides of the trays.

3. In a card-catalogue, the combination of a drawer having ways, trayssliding in the Ways, and perforations in the sides of the trays, with anumber of cards arranged in the trays and held in place by theperforations.

4. In combination, a shallow drawer having a number of trays havingperforated sides and arranged to slide in different divisions of thedrawer, the trays having disposed therein a number of cards laid flat,each card displaced from a position immediately over any other so as toexpose a portion of the faces of the cards, and provided with lugsextending into the perforations in the sides of the trays.

5. In combination, a tray having perforations in its sides, and a bottomwider than the distance between the perforations, with cards havingprojecting lugs in the perforations, more than one card being in eachperforation, and each card being cut away at the top, so as to exposepart of the face of the under card.

6. As a new-article of manufacture, a tray for a card-catalogue, havinga flat bottom and inwardly-recessed perforated sides, the bottom of thetray being wider than the distance between the sides containing theperforations.

7. A card for a card-catalogue, having a body portion and projectinglugs near the bottom, the sides of the body portion converging towardits top.

8. A card for a card-catalogue, comprising a body portion, projectinglugs at or near the bottom of the card, the line between the lugs andthe side of the card being a curve, and the sides of the card convergingtoward the top.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of March,1898.

WILLIAM O. WAKEFIELD.

Witnesses:

JAMEs H. BOSTOGK, W. GIBsoN CAREY.

